Kindling
by BlackBatLicorice
Summary: Ava Knowles is back in Charming, and try as she might, she can't avoid the past- and maybe she doesn't want to. Tig Trager *knows* she can't, whether she wants to or not. Can Ava allow herself to love again? And can she heal her rift with her older sister so that they can rebuild their lives alongside the MC that tore them apart?
1. Chapter 1: Catching Up

**Chapter One: Catching Up**

"There's a face I never thought I'd see again," The jovial drawling voice turned more than one head in the grocery store. The locals of Charming, California, were used to the Sons of Anarchy, but they weren't so used to noise. The call was intended for only one person.

Ava stood at the head of the aisle, almost dropping the items she was holding. She shouldn't have been surprised, really. Coming back to Charming meant she was bound to bump into somebody she knew eventually. Still, his grin was infectious and she smiled back.

"Hi Jax." She held onto her groceries under one arm in order to return the hug he'd wrapped her in with at least one arm.

"How are you doing darlin'?" Jackson Teller smiled down at her. It wasn't an easy answer to give considering everything but Ava never let her smile fall from her face.

"Good. Just spending some time with Pops. How are you?"

"Better for seeing you," Jax replied, walking with her as she continued grocery shopping now that they were somewhat reacquainted. He snagged her a cart and she dumped her items into it gratefully.

"I heard you have a baby on the way." Jax may not have known that Ava was back in town but it was impossible to avoid knowing what was happening with him.

"Yeah… Wendy's pregnant…. it's early days though. Mom just couldn't keep it to herself," Jax shook his head. Ava remembered Gemma Teller very well too, though thankfully she'd had very few face-to-face dealings with the queen of bikers. She'd seen what became of those who fell on Gemma's bad side and used to make a point of staying out of her way and not troubling the matriarch.

"Last I heard you were getting divorced," Ava said semi-apologetically in response to his mention of Wendy. She shrugged. "Lynette blabbed."

"Lynette is a gossip," Jax smirked. "Nah, we are. I mean, I filed a while back. We tried to make another go of things, hence the baby, but…" He shrugged his shoulders just as Ava had as he walked her towards the checkout.

"That's tough. Sorry, Jax." And she meant it. Jax gave her another rueful smile as they paused before she could pick which line she wanted to join.

"Hey… look. I know I'm biased, but I never had your Dad down as someone that wanted anyone to spend time with," He referenced her earlier explanation for being back in town. Ava looked up at him; his blonde hair had grown longer since she had last seen him, but he hadn't quite lost that boyish charm- and if anything, his ability to discern someone hiding something had only intensified with age.

"He isn't," Ava admitted, sounding remarkably blasé, because she was nothing if not a master at brushing troubling things off. "He's sick, though." Illness alone probably wouldn't have been enough to bring her back after five years. Her father hadn't been much of a father to Ava or her sister. He'd been present physically and made sure they didn't starve, but that had been basically the limit of his parenting. Now, though, there was nobody else to take care of him. And Ava didn't have a good enough reason to stay away.

"How long has he got?" Jax quesrioned, doing the math on his own. Ava was glad she didn't have to explain.

"Could be weeks. A couple months," She shrugged again.

"Shit. I'm sorry to hear that." There was a pause. "Are you… taking care of him by yourself?" He asked, and Ava heard the question he didn't dare ask out loud.

"It looks that way," She replied, her words equally loaded. Jax returned the nod of her head with one of his own.

"Well… you know where we are," He said, leaning down to kiss her on the cheek, "It's good to have you back." Ava bade him goodbye, his loping saunter unchanged. As she began to load her shopping onto the belt, she thought about what Jax had asked again- if she was doing this alone. Her answer had been honest… well, shit, her Dad had never had much time for her and Lord knew she wasn't qualified for the job… but if she didn't come home he'd probably just rot away amongst all the junk he'd hoarded. He didn't exactly have many visitors or friends and it was obvious by the radio silence that her sister wasn't about to come home to help. Doctor Tara Knowles, after all, was far too important these days to have time for her family. That lowly task was left to her trashy little half-sister, Ava Jean.

* * *

In the end, Bill Knowles ended up on the mere 'weeks' spectrum of his prognosis. Ava didn't bother holding a real funeral for her Dad. He had to be Charming's least popular resident and there was no other family. She didn't even bother to invite Tara to come see him off. Ava and Tara hadn't really spoken for years anyway, other than the very occasional text message or Christmas card. Ava just had Skeeter burn the remains quietly, had a few moments with her thoughts, before arranging to come back and collect his ashes the following week.

She was halfway back out of the cemetery when she saw _him.  
_Towering over her with those thick dark curls, the leather kutte, knife at his side and the unforgettable, penetrating blue eyes.

So far Ava had managed not to run into anybody else from SAMCRO after seeing Jax. She wasn't actively avoiding them, exactly, but she had stayed away from TM and the clubhouse. She had half expected to see _him _before this but he hadn't showed so she had questioned whether Jax had even mentioned the fact she was in town. It had been about a month, after all. But here he was: Tig Trager, strolling towards her. He looked cocky until he was right in front of her. The next thing she knew she was being wrapped up in his arms.

"I only just heard about your old man. I'm sorry, doll." Hearing his voice in her ear, smelling his cologne under her nose, it just took her back. Ava couldn't help holding him back. "If I'd known you were doin' this today I woulda been here." Tig held her by the shoulders, looking her up and down.

"You wouldn't have had to," She told him lamely. She did the math. It'd been so long…

"I don't care." Of course he didn't. "Baby… you shouldn't have had to do this alone."

"I know." It was an honest reply, one of the first Ava had given since she returned and had to deal with all these shadows and ghosts.

"What about your Mom?" Tig was watching her closely and Ava knew he was assessing her, seeing what was safe to say and what wasn't. Ava shrugged.

"She doesn't care. Not about him, not about me."

"No change there, huh?" Tig smirked. Ava felt her face muscles twitch into a smile, a weak one, but it was there.

"I guess not," Ava agreed. The two regarded each other for a moment.

"I'm guessin' that means your sister isn't coming back to look out for ya."

"When has she ever done that?" Tara had always only ever looked out for herself, at least if you asked Ava. Sure, now that she was a doctor she took care of her patients, but her blood family? Never. The two sisters had different mothers, and Tara's was long dead, but Ava thought her own detached mother's brief stint as Tara's step-mother had rubbed off on the older sister a little.

"True," Tig chuckled. "So what do you say? Wanna grab a drink?" Even though she'd been nervous to see him, Ava was actually glad to hear him offer that. A drink was exactyl what she needed after the ordeal she'd just suffered through alone, not just today but since she came back to care for her cantankerous, ungrateful father.

"Sure." Tig offered her his arm like it was the most natural thing in the world and Ava took it, making it look just as natural even though inside she felt strange touching him like this.

"You drive here?" He asked her. Ava nodded. "I'm on the bike. Follow me to the Mulberry?" It was a slightly trendier bar in town, which surprised Ava. Tig could tell, of course. He grinned. "Didn't think you'd be in the mood for the clubhouse and the Dog is crawling with Nazis."

"Darby's crew?" Ava had figured the Nords would've long been wiped out by now.

"They're like cockroaches. You stamp on 'em and it releases baby skinheads," Tig explained and Ava laughed. Tig always had a funny way of putting things. She let out a long breath as they reached the parking lot for the cemetery. It felt good to laugh.

"I'll see you on the other side."

* * *

Both Tig and Ava ignored any weird looks they got as they entered The Mulberry. Tig found them a booth tucked out of the way.  
"We got some catching up to do," He said, ordering them both whiskey when the waitress came over. "Five years feels like a long time."

"I can't say I have a whole lot to tell."

"I don't believe ya, doll," He smirked back at her. "Come on… what about… work?"

"I've done a bunch of jobs. Most recently pressing the pump to put the jelly into donuts," Ava grinned. "You still at TM?"

"As much as ever," Tig answered, "You stayin' at your old man's?"

"Unfortunately. Surprised I could find enough space to sleep with all the fire hazard crap he's collected." Tig snorted at this.

"I kinda remember something. He really got that bad?" Ava may not have been too close to him but it still felt strange to refer to her father in the past tense… still.

"He had every copy of the Charming Times for the past fifteen years stacked up in the bath tub with a shitload of old Lego."

"Jesus Christ. So when all that kindling caught alight you'd have to run across all that Lego to get out. Shit. I'd take my chances against the fire." Ava laughed a little.

"What about you? Still in the same place?" Their whiskey had arrived.

"Yeah, as much as ever." Tig had hardly ever spent a night in his own home- he generally preferred the clubhouse. "You plan on sticking around in Charming?" Ava had known all along that this was the question he'd been building towards but it was still the one she had to pause before answering. She gulped at her whiskey before staring into the depths of her glass for a minute. Then she finally looked up at him.

"I haven't decided." Her father had left the house jointly to her and Tara and he didn't have much else to leave. Ava was going to try and clear the junk and see that everything that needed to be seen to got sorted but after that… she wasn't sure. She'd never been much for having a plan.

"You got a husband to get back to?" He asked this teasingly, though Ava was sure that this too was a question he'd been building up the nerve to ask in his unique Tig Trager way. Ava didn't mind though- she was curious herself.

"No husband," She answered. "You projecting that because of your wife?" She quipped playfully.

"A wife? Never. Can't believe you'd accuse me of getting married," Tig made a disgusted face before chuckling.

It felt a little strange to him, sitting across from Ava Knowles. It had been what felt like a whole lifetime since he saw her, but really five years wasn't such a long time. She had always been a pretty thing, with hair so dark it looked blue in the sun, and she'd rarely seemed to stop smiling or laughing. Jax and Tara, her sister, had been sweethearts and Tara had often been forced to drag her kid sister along. That was how she first met the club, but the rest came later. She became a friend, a croweater, a confidante… and a whole something else to Tig Trager. But shit went south like everything in his life always did, and she'd split.

When he'd heard she was back it had actually made him smile, though he'd been waiting for it to hurt, but he kept his distance. She probably didn't want to get sucked back into the shit she'd run away from and Tig didn't blame her… but when he heard her Dad died he knew he had to find her. He just wished he'd found out before she had to cremate him alone. Still, she was older now and it was impossible to know how much she'd changed. But sitting and talking with her, it didn't feel any different. It felt like it was _then _again.

"Refill?" He indicated her empty glass after a pause.

"Why not?" Came her rhetorical answer.

"Glad ya still know how to drink, doll," Tig joked as he signalled the waitress who came with the bottle, topping them both up. Tig sat back with his whiskey, swilling it around in his glass as he watched her for a minute. She didn't share many features with her older sister, physically or otherwise, but one thing they did have in common were their changeable hazel eyes- one moment they were deep and dark and the next minute a piercing green, depending on the light, though Tig used to swear it also depended on Ava's mood.

"You can take the girl out of Charming..." Ava trailed off with a smile. She could feel him watching her too. Tig looked a little older than when she'd left, and his hair was shorter, the curls less wild and tighter, though if he grew them out again she knew he'd look the same. And those bright blue eyes…

"… And she'll come back even hotter than when she left." Tig couldn't help himself, a smirk on his lips. Ava rolled her eyes.

"You really haven't changed one bit, Alexander Trager."

"Well, you can take the girl out of Charming… but you can't make the guy less of a catch," He reworked the same joke with a chuckle.

"Maybe..." And Tig knew then that it wasn't just him who was feeling the effects of the alcohol. He knew it was too easy now, and so did Ava. She suddenly put her glass down and ran her hand over her face. "Shit. Not used to whiskey anymore," She admitted, but she smiled when she said it. "Prefer vodka these days."

"Nasty," Tig said with distaste. If push came to shove he would drink whatever was in front of him but vodka was never his first choice. Ava shrugged lightly.

"Maybe some things _have _changed," She grinned because she used to feel the same way about the Russian stuff. "Hey," She changed the subject, picking up her glass again, "You need to fill me in. I heard about Jax's baby. How is… how is everyone else? Opie? Is Piney still alive? What about, uh, what's his name… Kyle?" Ava babbled. Tig laughed.

"Opie's alright. Came out of Chino not long ago. Adjusting I guess..." Tig hadn't seen too much of the lanky biker in the few weeks since he'd been home. "Piney is still alive, somehow, and still an asshole. Kyle got excommunicated. Long story," Tig shrugged. "Who else? Ah… Juice patched in right around when you left. Chibs is still Scottish… Clay's his cheerful self… Bobby is Bobby and Gemma is Gemma." Of course no conversation about SAMCRO could go by without the Queen being mentioned somewhere. She was almost like another member as far as the guys were concerned.

"Never liked Kyle much anyway." He hadn't exactly been one of her favourites. It was weird for Ava, now, to think of having 'favourites' like the members of SAMCRO were just desirable possessions but that was how it had been back then when she had been one of the croweaters. "Didn't know Juice too well but he seemed sweet…" maybe a little too sweet, but she guessed he must've had something to offer them.

"Don't tell me you missed the others as much as you missed me," Tig asked with glimmering eyes as he downed yet another glass.

"Not even possible," Ava responded playfully. Se was taking her drink slowly now but she knew it'd be the last one for her. She might have joked otherwise but she definitely couldn't drink like she used to.

"Good. 'Cause I missed you-" Tig was planning to make some joke along the same lines, but suddenly he realised he didn't have a punchline or an end to that sentence. His words hung awkwardly between them. Finally, he shrugged and decided to just go for it. "I missed you." Ava suddenly felt very hot all over and she finished her whiskey all in one after all.

"Well, I'm kinda wasted. I needed it." She added. Tig was slightly taken aback when she didn't acknowledge what he'd just said but he took it in his stride.

"Neither of us should be driving. 'Specially you. Let's call a ride."

"I don't think I have any cab numbers," Ava sighed as she let Tig pull her to her feet and begin to lead her slightly unsteadily outside. It wasn't even properly dark yet, the sky just beginning to turn streaky orange and purple to signal sunset.

"I'll call the Prospect. He can drop ya home." Ava gave Tig a look but he let go of her as they stood outside the bar, holding up his hands. "No motive, babe. I'm not gonna let you get in a damn cab." She nodded slightly to show she accepted this as Tig dialled a number. "Yeah it's me. Get to the Mulberry. Need a ride to TM. Got a friend, she needs dropping off on the way. Come back after and get my bike… yeah." He closed the flip phone he was holding.

"Now we wait," Ava predicted.

"Yeah..." He led her over to stand beside his bike which he'd parked. She admired the huge black machine. They didn't speak for a while but it was mostly a comfortable silence. Eventually, a Teller Morrow Automotive Repairs truck appeared at the top of the street. Ava remembered the club's front business well. Only then did she respond to what he'd told her inside.

"I missed you too," She said. Tig looked down at her and she saw some surprise cross his face before he covered it and she knew it was because he'd thought she wasn't going to ever acknowledge it. He glanced towards the truck, which was nearing them, then looked back down at her. Tig Trager was no good with words. So he just leaned down and kissed her softly, tenderly, on the lips. Ava hadn't seen it coming so it was her turn to be surprised. But, it was over very quickly. Tig was already walking towards the truck. She watched him for a minute before she followed him.

* * *

**A/N: Hi guys. If you're reading this and thinking wtf, what happened to your other story... please understand, I have every intention of writing it when I can do it justice but right now I have this other idea rattling around my head in my quest to make sure there is more Tig loving in the fanfiction world. I've also not been able to write for ages for one reason and another so it's nice to finally have something good to run with... anyway.**

**If you're reading this just 'cause, I really love feedback. So thank you and please drop a review!**


	2. Chapter 2: Enter Gemma

**Chapter Two: Enter Gemma**

Over the next few weeks Ava saw Tig a few times but they didn't kiss again; though there were a couple of times when she thought they might cross over the line again they never did. She was older now, wiser, and she supposed he'd had sufficient time to get over her, if there was anything to get over in the first place, on his part. She was fine with it. She managed to clear a bunch of crap from her Dad's house, though the garage was still a mess. She didn't have a job yet but she was getting by on savings and a modest amount her father had left behind that was split between herself and Tara, whom she still hadn't heard a word from. Ava knew that if she was going to stick around she needed to find a way to live, though, but she couldn't make her mind up. Of course, Charming itself seemed to be deciding for her.

So far other than the times she'd hung out with Tig and the time she'd run into Jax, Ava had made a conscious decision to avoid Teller-Morrow, the clubhouse, and any other of the Sons' local haunts. She had no intention of going back to the person she used to be, Charming or no Charming. She saw a few of the guys around town by chance and she was friendly as ever, same with the croweaters- the women Ava had once been akin to. It was a whole other lifetime ago; a crazy one filled with parties, booze, drugs and an obsession with chasing the patch that stemmed in all of them from the same place- the need to feel secure, safe and wanted. She had good memories, but that's all they were. Memories.

This was why Ava was a little miffed when her engine began making an ungodly sound on her way back from the grocery store. Her little car was old- not cute, vintage old either, just a straight up banger. She'd gotten it cheap and it had seen better days even before she'd spent the past three years driving it around where the wind took her. Today, of course, was the day it had decided it wanted to give up and go to vehicle heaven. And try as Ava might to wrack her brains for an alternative while she drove, she finally broke down around half a mile from TM. Her idea of just using a different mechanic went entirely out of the window as she was forced to dial the number as she sat on the side of the road, looking at the useless hunk of metal that had failed her.

"Teller-Morrow, how can I help?" The female voice down the line asked smoothly. The female voice, Ava knew, could only belong to Gemma Teller.

"Hi. My engine started crying blue murder around half an hour ago. Thought I could make it alone but I've broken down entirely now- a few blocks from you," Ava explained tiredly.

"No problem at all. I'll send a tow to bring you in. Can I get a name?" Ava waited a moment, hesitating, before she answered:

"Ava Knowles." She had considered a fake name but the second Gemma or anyone else saw her they'd know who she was anyway. It wasn't exactly a secret she was back in town. The pause on the other end of the line said it all; Gemma knew _exactly _who she was. Finally, the queen of SAMCRO replied:

"No problem. Someone will be with you in five to ten minutes."

When the tow truck pulled up, Ava felt palpable relief. She wasn't sure why, except that somehow she'd imagined Gemma would find the worst possible person for her to pick her up. Instead, she'd ended up with Opie Winston. She smiled as she stood up from the kerb, waving him down.  
Opie was a quiet guy, and always had been. He was far taller than most other people. He was wearing a beanie hat over his hair, a TM mechanics shirt, and a beard which was impressively long- last time she saw him, he'd barely been able to cover his chin with peach fuzz. His grin was real when he got out of the truck.  
"I thought Gemma was kidding when she said it was you," He said by way of greeting her.

"She probably wished I was," Ava replied with a laugh. She and Opie hugged.

"Jax mentioned you were back in town. Sorry I haven't seen you yet."

"It's okay. I'm not around the club," Ava explained.

"Yeah..." The tall biker looked out across the road as if he wasn't seeing it. It was then that Ava saw the strain he was exerting keeping the smile on his face. It wasn't the Opie she remembered. "Me neither."

"You're out?" She questioned.

"Nah…" But Ava knew it wasn't her place to pry, not now. She and Opie actually went back a ways, the same with Jax. Those two had grown up together, been best friends. Where Tara had been Jax's high school sweetheart, Opie had had Donna. They'd made quite the foursome back in the day, despite Tara and Donna both being quite different, and Ava had been the awkward fifth wheel on a lot of occasions. Opie and Donna had always made it easier on her. Made her feel like a friend, like she belonged. Ava and Opie had always been friends, and that was all, but after Opie patched in he'd gone through some shit, decided that he wanted to push Donna away. By that time, Ava had been a croweater.

There had been no enthusiasm in the single night they'd spent together. Opie was just doing what he thought was necessary. Ava was just doing what she was supposed to do- take care of the Sons. Donna hadn't exactly understood either of their positions and Ava had lost a friend, though Opie had managed to keep his wife who wouldn't be pushed away.

Still, Opie had been in prison for five years. Ava knew how time inside could change shit. Especially long time. The guys often shrank into themselves, got quiet. The women… they went half mad holding shit together when their men were gone, and when the guys got out they didn't want to go through it again. Ava thought perhaps that was what Opie was going through, but she didn't ask.

"How are the kids?" She questioned instead once he had her poor car hooked up to the tow truck. She climbed into the cab with him, having no choice now but to go to TM and find out what the damage was.

"Good," Opie replied. Ava sensed this was also, however, the wrong subject to bring up, judging by the way he kept his dark eyes fixed ahead as he started the vehicle. He covered it though, questioning her instead: "You looking for work?" It was kind of a strange question, granted.

"Um… it depends. Work usually finds me," Ava replied as they drove.

"Lowell is in rehab," Opie said thoughtfully, "And I'm mostly chipping wood these days..." He didn't sound enthusiastic about that.

"And?" Ava knew exactly where this was headed but she deliberately didn't take the bait.

"And I know for a fact that Clay is shorthanded at the garage." Ava scoffed. She did know her way around a car, despite the sorry state her current vehicle was in. She was by no means an expert, though- just helped out a little back when she was a teenager and waiting around for Tara to finish sucking face with Jax.

"I'm not a mechanic Ope," Ava laughed, "If I was, I wouldn't have had to call you guys."

"You wouldn't take too much training. Clay prefers faces he knows," Opie added.

"Don't think it's my _face _that he knows..." Ava retorted. They were already driving up the street towards the compound where the garage was. She happened to know that although the club President's old lady didn't approve of him philandering within Charming's borders, he still occasionally violated that rule when shit got bad enough that he had extra steam to let off- and she had helped him do so a couple of times back in the day. Opie cocked an eyebrow, well aware of that rule too.

"Be careful," He nodded in the direction of the office as they turned into the compound.

"I don't know, Ope… I was kind of avoiding this place," Ava admitted. Though it was strange, now that she was here, how familiar everything felt. It was nice to see that reaper sign above the clubhouse, the sun shining down onto the gleaming line of Harley's, the empty bottles on the picnic tables. This place had almost been like home for Ava once upon a time. She didn't even think she'd missed it but now that she was here, she knew she had. "Even if I did consider working here, and it's a huge _if,_" she added, "Clay may prefer people he knows but there's a chance he'd just see me as a distraction. I don't want to get in anyone's way." And she certainly didn't want to get sucked back into the club's web.

"Maybe," Opie admitted. "But there's plenty of people who would vouch for you. This place is Jax's too," He pointed out. He parked the tow up. "Just a suggestion…" He added with a small but real grin this time. Ava couldn't help but return it.

"Okay Ope. Thanks," She said, before climbing out of the car. She watched as her car got pulled in and Opie and another mechanic began to take a look at it. She stood by, not getting in the way, but she took note of her surroundings. The garage was only semi-busy but she could tell this wasn't exactly the A-Team of Teller-Morrow. She could see Half-Sack, the Prospect who'd picked her and Tig up from the bar that time, working on another car on the other side of the garage but none of the other members were working. Their bikes were all parked though, which presumably meant they were in the clubhouse or somewhere else in the general vicinity. She wondered if she would see Tig here and she almost prayed that she wouldn't.

The door to the office had been closed, both the front door and the one that separated the office from the garage, but where she was stood Ava could see both. It opened as she was stood there and she saw Wendy, Jax's almost-ex-wife, emerge with a hand on her small baby bump. She looked upset, which was probably not surprising considering that Gemma followed her out and smugly watched Wendy slink into her car and drive away. Gemma's tongue was infamously barbed. Ava immediately found herself wishing to become invisible, but the matriarch already knew she was coming, so there was absolutely no surprise when she turned, spotted Ava, and smirked, beginning to head over to her.

Although Ava had limited dealings with Gemma, the matriarch took her role as Queen seriously so back when she was a croweater, she had been used to basically running around and serving Gemma when needed, enjoying the occasional laugh with the older woman, but also receiving a few tongue-lashings that she was forced to turn a deaf ear to. She had learned to stay out of the woman's way and even though those days were behind her, she was pretty sure one thing hadn't changed, and that would've been her opinion on Ava being involved with Tig.

"_I'll see you later, babe," Stunning blue eyes sparkled down at her in the sun. Ava felt euphoric. The guys were going away on a run today and she had found herself in a spot at the forefront. It was what she had always imagined when she had been fucking around with the guys before. Now, Tig Trager was saying goodbye to her, especially. Nearby, Gemma was kissing Clay goodbye and watching him climb onto his bike, while Precious did the same with Bobby, and April with Kyle. _

"_I'll miss you," She told Tig, a big smile on her face. The last few weeks had been a whirlwind. Ava's head hadn't had time to stop spinning yet. Tig was smirking down at her._

"_Nah… you won't," He quipped, but then he kissed her. Tig had always been a good kisser. Everyone knew he was a good kisser, so that wasn't new. But the way he held her face so gently, the way he brushed back her black hair, that _was _new. Too soon he was pulling away. He and all the guys climbed onto their bikes. The roar of the engines was deafening as they headed off. Ava stood with the other women and hangarounds, watching them go._

_Once the sounds of the engines had faded off into the distance, Ava turned to go inside. Only, when she turned around she was met with an impressive rack which was attached to the tall frame of the stern-looking Gemma Teller. The matriarch raised a brow at her.  
"So that's it? Think you got him? You his old lady now?"_

_To say Ava was taken aback at the blunt questioning was an understatement, and she didn't respond as such._

"_I...uh..."_

"_Tig Trager loves women. Everyone knows that. He loves getting his dick wet with them. You're a young, pretty girl. Maybe a little too young… not a problem. What _is _a problem, sweetheart, is that you've been keeping everyone's dick wet since the day you came of age and not a minute too soon. He knows that. A man like Tig doesn't just want what everyone else already has. Seen it a hundred times. The second he remembers who he is, who you are, it's done. And you'll go back to gyrating around that pole every night. Want my advice? Wanna be an old lady? You need someone naive, dumb. Like that Prospect, Juice. Someone who don't know what you are. Someone that's too sweet to care. Know what you can afford and don't touch what you can't. Stay away from Tig. He has important shit to do."_

_Ava's mouth hung slightly open at the end of Gemma's relentless speech. She knew that a lot of people would scoff at the idea of she and Tig, whatever it was that they were, but she hadn't expected anything so mean or cold. Gemma, unfortunately, also seemed to know exactly what she was thinking._

"_If you aren't ready to hear the truth, you're not ready for Tig. Know your place, gash." Gemma flounced away, leaving Ava stood bright-cheeked and shocked._

"So, you're back in town," The older woman smirked, looking Ava up and down. She probably wasn't exactly how Gemma remembered her; for one, she no longer lived in thigh-high stiletto boots and blue and black hot pants. She was actually dressed pretty nondescriptly, in black jeans and a sea-green blouse that made the green in her hazel eyes pop. "Took me a minute to remember where I knew the name from." Ava was also smarter than she used to be and she sensed Gemma had had no trouble remembering her by her name.

"I came back to take care of my Dad," Ava answered. Both women were putting on a false friendliness.

"I heard he passed," Gemma nodded.

"Yeah..."

"Tara back?" This question was closer to the Gemma Ava had dealt with before- it was blunt and to the point. Gemma had no more love for Ava's older sister than she did Ava, and maybe liked her even less. Tara had taken Jackson's heart and in Gemma's eyes, tried to poison it against her and the club. Then she had taken off to college and broke Jax's heart. For most people it was an unfortunate historical event in Jax's life, but for Gemma it was something that was totally unforgiveable.

"No," Ava sighed. "Just me." Gemma nodded, looking satisfied with that answer. There was a pause.

"If you're stickin' around," The older woman said at the end of the pause, "You're gonna stir up a lot of shit."

"Thought that was what you wanted." The words left Ava's mouth before she could stop herself. But after all, Gemma had sent Opie to get her knowing full well that Donna would be less than pleased about it. Gemma raised her brows and Ava was waiting for the tongue-lashing but instead the woman smiled.

"At least you grew a backbone since you left Charming," She said approvingly. "Look, I know Jax and Opie loved you," Gemma levelled, "And all the guys would be happy to see you back. But that's cause they think with their dicks and they probably expect you to jump straight back to what you used to do."

"I'm out. I'm not here for that. This is the first time I've come anywhere near the clubhouse-" Ava began to defend herself immediately. Gemma held up a hand.

"Look, what I'm trying to say is, the guys have short memories. I know why you took off, so do Tig and Clay. But that's it. Nobody needs you comin' back and messing with shit. Jumping back on that pole in the clubhouse or on Tigger's dick- or anyone else's. You understand? It'll only fuck everything up. And it took me the last five years to fix the damage. Don't undo my good work." Ava sighed. She turned so that she was facing Gemma, able to meet her eyes.

"I didn't come back here for the club or anyone in it. I came back for my Dad. If I stick around, it's for me. I don't want any trouble. I don't wanna be involved." Gemma sized her up.

"Good. Hope it stays that way."

* * *

Tig emerged from church in a relatively good mood. The Nords were in check and not dealing crank in Charming. The Mayans were quiet lately, though of course they were still pissy as always because of the gun arrangement with the Niners. There weren't any ongoing beefs at the moment, money wasn't great but at least there were no big expenses, the warehouse was running itself and he'd be riding out there later to get his dick sucked while he checked their latest shipment was safe… he smirked. Church was good when it was like this- everybody nodding their head to business being taken care of. Sometimes it was like this for long stretches and life as an outlaw biker was almost comfortable… Tig had to laugh at that thought as he headed to the garage, changing out of his kutte, pulling on the mechanics shirt with his moniker embroidered on. Of course, there were lots of times shit in that chapel was a headache to deal with. He'd learned to appreciate the quiet times, though he did sometimes miss the action.

Tig was on his way to grabbing a work order from Gemma in the office when he saw a car he recognised. Opie was working on it, though Tig had no idea the guy was even on the compound. Since he came out of prison he didn't spend too much time around the club. It was a shame because he'd always been a solid member, but they understood- his old lady had been to hell and back while he was away and Opie felt the need to step away for a while. But seeing that car, Tig walked up to where Opie had his head under the hood.

"Hey man. Ava's here?" He pointed to the little silver vehicle that had seen better days. Opie glanced back to see it was Tig who spoke.

"She was," He replied, straightening up, one of the few people around who towered over Tig who was tall himself. "The car's a piece of shit. Told her to come back tomorrow and I'll give her an estimate for how much it'll cost to make this thing viable."

"You give her the loaner?" Tig checked. He wished he'd been around now, to pick Ava up instead of Opie. He still remembered how he'd felt when he found out she'd fucked Ope. Sure, she'd fucked everyone, but Opie was supposed to just be her friend…

"I think Gemma did." Tig's blue eyes popped open wide.

"You sent her to Gemma?" He badly wanted to punch Opie Winston on the arm now.

"Gemma came out and spoke to her for a while. They seemed okay," Opie shrugged. Tig realised then that Opie had no idea the kind of hell Gemma had put Ava through in the past- it had undoubtedly been an unwelcome approach by the matriarch. "I told her to go grab the keys from her when she left." _Idiot. _

"Alright, brother..." Tig said but he was already halfway towards the office by the time Opie finished speaking. He crashed through the door connecting the office to the garage. "The hell did you say to her?" Gemma looked up from the old computer on the desk, an eyebrow cocked. She didn't need to ask who he was talking about.

"Nothing," She said smoothly. "I was just surprised to find out she's back. I'm sure you were all _very _careful to make sure I was the last to know." Gemma wasn't wrong. Ava Knowles had been mentioned at least once by every Son since Jax ran into her when she first got back to Charming. It wasn't because she was an ex-croweater- that might've got any other girl a passing mention, but Ava was different and they all knew she was different. Nobody had really expected her to ever come back, for anything. Still, everybody, especially Clay and Jax, had agreed it was probably best if Gemma didn't realise, at least for a while. It still pissed Tig off though. He loved Gemma Teller, but the woman was fighting a battle that wasn't hers to fight when it came to Ava and she'd been fighting that battle since an eighteen year old Ava had first drunkenly perched on Happy Lowman's lap and made it _very _clear that she was all grown up.

"She's been through enough," Tig said through gritted teeth. "It weren't easy for her to come back here. Don't psych her out."

"Yeah, I'm sure it was hard for her to stop sucking whatever dick she was sucking to take care of her sick Dad." Tig's nostrils flared dangerously at Gemma's retort, though he knew a reaction was exactly what she wanted, so she could gauge how he felt. He hated that she always knew which buttons to press.

"Gemma," He forced himself to reply calmly. "There is more shit to this than you know." Gemma had been led to believe that Ava and Tig had some kind of break up, or that Ava had whored around on him or something, and that was the reason she split. She'd already refused to trust Ava so it hadn't been difficult to lead her to believe that and that was the way they'd left it. It would've been better that way, if Ava had never come back to Charming. But now she _was _back, she was facing a hostility she didn't deserve and wouldn't understand. And no matter what anyone told him, Tig felt it was his job to fix that, if he could. He needed to make Ava okay with Charming again, in any way possible.

"Just… be nice."

"I was perfectly nice," Gemma informed him. "I was actually pretty impressed. She wasn't even dressed like a cheap whore. _And _she answered me back."

"Ava was never a cheap whore," Tig sighed. He didn't even respond to the second part. Ava had always been feisty, outspoken, not afraid of anybody- except when it came to Gemma. It was something he had never understood, had never even thought to ask Ava about, even back then…

"Tigger. Please tell me you're not thinking about getting back together with that gash." Gemma finally cut the bullshit and said what was on her mind. Tig stood there, looking down at her but somehow managing to feel like _she_ was looking down at him.

"I'm not," Tig said blankly. He wasn't. He liked spending time with Ava, and the kiss he'd laid on her, the one they'd shared outside The Mulberry bar in town, it had been the first time in years that he'd kissed a woman without the intention of getting into her pants. It had definitely meant something- but that was because it was the kiss he should've given her five years ago before she left. He didn't think of it like he'd lost her, or she lost him. One day, she had just been gone, and every time Tig thought about it that old wound threatened to bust it's stitches and rip wide open. But, for that very reason, he wasn't ever going to entertain reopening it deliberately. He and Ava simply did not work. He was sure she would agree, and he owed her anyway. He owed it to her to keep it friendly, and that was all.

"Good." Gemma said. "Hope it stays that way."

* * *

**A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews and feedback so far guys. I'll always appreciate more of it! So we're starting to see a little more detail on Ava's history with Tig and the other guys in the club! Obviously there is more to the story too still to come, as there also will be with Gemma! I hope you guys enjoyed this!**


	3. Chapter 3: The Simple Life

**Chapter Three: The Simple Life**

"_Why is everything I own so shit?" Ava asked the question out loud. She was trying to do her homework and every pen she tried had run out. Next to her sat her hairbrush, which had snapped at the handle. Tara looked archly across the bedroom they only shared because the spare room was full of their Dad's shit._

"_Because you don't take care of things," The older sister said. Ava rolled her eyes._

"_Got things I'd rather take care of than these stupid questions." She thought of the guys, the Sons of Anarchy, with a smirk. Ava had turned eighteen a couple of months ago and overnight she had become Tara's worst nightmare; hanging around the clubhouse, getting drunk, making a fool of herself, and now she was also sleeping around with them._

"_You have two weeks 'til finals and then you're done. Can't you keep your legs closed until then?"_

"_Can't you move out and fuck off?" Ava retorted. Tara was planning to go to medical school soon- she hadn't even told Jax, her boyfriend and the only SAMCRO member she had time for. Ava had no idea why she hadn't gone two years ago, when she'd first graduated high school. She'd been accepted, after all. But she'd stuck around, possibly hoping Jax would magically become a whole other person. Tara sighed and looked over at her._

"_Look, I know you don't care right now but you need to start thinking about your future. Your career. You don't wanna end up being stuck in this dead-end town, relying on a bunch of bikers to take care of you…" Her sister began in a serious sort of way, but teenage Ava was somebody who didn't take much seriously at all. The two Knowles girls couldn't have been more different if they tried._

"_No, that's what_ you_ don't want," Ava retorted. Tara looked worried, then, so Ava flung her school books aside and scrambled to the edge of her bed so she could meet her older sisters eyes. "I know you think you need to tell me what to do- I mean, sorry, 'guide' me," She made quotation marks with her fingers, referring to the many times before Tara had insisted on having the big sister talk with her. "But, I'm fine. We can't all be smart and go off and save lives. For some of us it's meant to be simpler. I'm okay with that," She told her. Tara shook her head._

"_That's what the problem is, Ava. You _are _smart. You're smarter than me in so many ways. You're just wasting it, convinced you can't be more, but you can and you should try to be. 'Cause what you're not getting is, life around the club isn't simple..."_

* * *

"What are you doing here?" Ava was totally blank with shock. She'd just come back from the grocery store to find her sister stood in the middle of the living room of their father's house, bags at her feet, looking around as if she didn't even recognise the place.

Tara hadn't changed much since Ava last saw her. Sure, she'd aged, but since she'd been in Illinois, not so badly thanks to the absence of the Californian sun. She'd always been a highly strung sort of person and that carried in the stiffness of her shoulders.

"Ava," Tara looked just as surprised to see her. Ava put the grocery bags down on the floor and closed the front door behind herself.

It had been a couple of weeks since her car had broken down. The vehicle itself was beyond repair, so she was still driving a loaner after all. She had been driving her Dad's old Ford Cutlass, which had been sinking under the weight of the junk in the garage. She'd all but given up any thought that Tara might ever come back to Charming. If she hadn't made it to take care of their Dad when he was sick, and hadn't even bothered coming to see him off when he passed, she sure as shit had no business showing her face now. And yet, here she was.

"You're a couple months too late to see Dad," Ava informed her bluntly.

"I know..." Tara at least had the grace to look like she felt guilty. "How was he… you know… in the end?"

"Do you even care?"

"Of course I do." Ava hesitated, giving her older sister the sweeping once over with her eyes.

"Pretty much bed-bound. There was nothing to do but try to make shit comfortable for him. He went in his sleep." Tara nodded, looking down at her feet then around at the house.

"I should've been here," She said quietly.

"Yeah, you should've. I didn't have a clue what I was doing. He asked about you every day, when were you gonna come see him. I had to feed him some bullshit about how your hospital couldn't even spare you a couple days." Ava had known all along, since the day she returned to Charming herself, that she was angry with Tara. Even putting aside their past difficult relationship and tension, she was disgusted with her lack of interest in their Dad. He hadn't been father of the century by any means, but he'd still raised them, alone, in his own shitty way, and he certainly hadn't been the worst. But now that she was finally faced with her estranged sister, the resentment came pouring out.

"I'm… I'm really sorry, Ava. It's been… complicated. I intended to come home, I just..."

"You're just too good for Charming," Ava finished. Despite being furious, she never raised her voice. She didn't need to.

"That's not fair," Tara snapped, and now she was starting to look angry. "You _know _that isn't what I think. I just have a _life_, you know, normal people can't just drop whatever they're doing and run off at the drop of a goddamn hat-"

"What? So is it that I don't have a life, or that I'm not normal?" Ava demanded to know.

"I wasn't saying-" Tara's voice was starting to get kind of shrill but she stopped herself halfway, running her hands through her dark brown hair and taking a deep breath. Somehow, watching that action made Ava stop, too, and try to calm herself down. What was really the sense in fighting over this, at least right now? "Let's just… can we just not do this? It's been, what, almost ten years since I saw you?" Tara questioned. Ava nodded. It took a lot of effort to swallow that pride, but Tara was right. They weren't kids anymore.

"I'm sorry," She said with difficulty. It was probably the first and only time she'd ever apologised to Tara for anything. "I just- I wasn't expecting to see you." The two of them looked at one another for a minute.

"I don't think I'd have recognised you at first. You have actual clothes on," Tara noted, with a smile, and Ava actually smiled too. She used to leave very little to the imagination, but she was much more sedate nowadays- though her style still always had little touches of herself, like the spider brooch she had pinned to her shirt.

"You look just the same," Ava replied. It had always seemed kind of random, the way Jackson Teller, the blonde haired, cheeky-grinned biker had picked one of the most seemingly ordinary girls out of the crowd. It wasn't that Tara wasn't pretty; she just didn't exactly scream biker chick with her bootcut jeans and _nice _tops.

"You'd think living in the city would've taught me a little about fashion," Tara smiled that uptight smile Ava would recognise a mile away even without the rest of her sister's face.

"So..." Ava tried again, now that the ice was somewhat broken. "Are you gonna tell me what you're doing back in Charming?" This time, Tara's face fell at the question, but this time it was because Ava knew she was about to be told the truth.

"Can we sit down?" Tara asked. "I, uh… I know we've not talked in a long time but… God, I need to tell somebody. And if we're both gonna be staying here..." Tara had always been neurotic, anxious, and a little hysterical. Ava was very much the opposite in most cases, and even after all these years she could recognise the beginning of one of Tara's spirals.

"Okay, I'm listening. It's alright. Come on." She led Tara over to sit down on their Dad's old grey couch. Ava couldn't imagine what it was that might've got Tara all in a tizz when it came to explaining what she was doing back in town.

"In Chicago, I was in a relationship," Tara began after a deep breath. "He was very… very intense. I got spooked, and he turned violent, so I ended it..." Ava nodded to show she was listening, a slight frown appearing between her brows as she did.

"And you had to come all the way back to Charming just for that?" She was sceptical.

"No… He, uh, he started stalking me," Tara swallowed and Ava's eyes widened a little, not least because Tara looked incredibly nervous even saying this out loud. "Showing up everywhere I went, sending flowers to work, sending me hundreds of messages and trying to call me..."

"Jesus." Ava had never had to deal with a creep like that, for which she was grateful, but she could empathise.

"I got a restraining order, but it just… it didn't feel like it was enough. Maybe I'm paranoid, I don't know… and I knew I should've come back here for Dad..."

"What is it about him, Tara?" Ava asked, because she just knew she was missing an important detail here. Her sister was like a very easy-to-read book for her.

"He's um, he's a federal agent. ATF."

"Holy shit, Tara..." Ava ran her hands over her face. She had gone, in minutes, from being angry to see Tara, to resolute, and now she was shocked. "You know how to pick 'em." How a girl could go from Jax Teller, the outlaw biker, to this ATF creep, it was anybody's guess. She looked back up at Tara, who looked somewhat haunted by recounting the whole sorry tale. "I guess I can see why you didn't wanna stick around in Chicago. If this guys gonna stalk you he probably has access to a lot more then the average weirdo."

"You can't tell anyone," Tara blurted out. "I mean, nobody. I just… I want to put it behind me." Ava didn't have to remind Tara of the real reason nobody needed to find this out. If anyone in SAMCRO got wind that Jax's ex old lady had a federal agent trying to hang off her, they'd be even less pleased to see Tara than Gemma Teller undoubtedly would be when she found out she was home.

* * *

Tara walked right into a job at St Thomas Hospital in Charming, and it didn't take long for word to get around that the elder Knowles sister was back in town. Then again, Charming was a small town. Everybody usually knew everybody's business, and Tara had always been the more favoured of the two sisters.

Tig Trager, though, had no idea why that was.

He was, against his will, forced to visit the emergency room by Clay on a Saturday morning. The previous night he'd gotten into the ring with Happy, and nobody got out of a fight with Happy Lowman unscathed, no matter how reasonably well-matched they might be to the Tacoma Killer. Tig was wincing on every step, undoubtedly a couple cracked ribs, but he was more worried about his hand. He could just barely force himself to hold a grip. Between the two injuries, he was useless to his President, who wanted him to go check there were no breaks.

It was as Tig sat yawning in the waiting room that he spotted Tara. She was, of course, now a surgeon. Neo-natal, Tig remembered Ava saying. But one thing Ava hadn't said, bearing in mind he'd bumped into her in the diner a couple of days ago, was that Tara was back. Tig had basically no relationship with Tara. He remembered when she and Jax had started dating back when they were around sixteen, and he remembered how mistrustful Gemma was, though Tig was quite sure nobody would ever be quite good enough for the golden boy in her eyes. He also remembered the Jackson Teller that emerged after Tara left as being quite different from the one they'd known when she'd been around. But mainly he recalled her little sister being babysat continually by the now-doctor, dragged around everywhere she went, and all because Tara pretty much believed she couldn't be trusted to be left alone.

Tara had probably been right in thinking that, because Ava had been somewhat of a wild child even before she came of age.

Tig wasn't going to say anything to Tara, but her eyes fell on him. To be honest, he had no idea what Tara did or didn't know. Everything with Ava had happened after Tara left town and he knew the sisters hadn't spoken much. If she had known, she certainly didn't approve. Honestly it was possible she didn't even remember Tig, but she definitely remembered the leather he wore. It had looked like she was heading for the desk for some reason but she looked at him just a moment too long to pretend.

"Hey doll," He greeted her, standard.

"Uh hi," Tara replied awkwardly, but quickly busied herself with the clipboard in her hands. Tig didn't get to say anything else, though, because that was when his name was called.

The x-ray showed no breaks in his fingers, just bruising, though two of his ribs were fractured. They told him to take it easy, don't ride for a couple of weeks, though Tig of course paid no attention to that part. He did, however, pay attention to the pain meds they prescribed. He had no intention of paying store price for them, of course, but he could get them in his own way…

He was outside and heading back towards his bike when he spotted her. Ava; she was walking up towards the doors of St Thomas. The meeting was unintentional but a lazy smirk crossed Tig's face when she spotted him and he stopped so she'd walk up to him.

"Gotta stop meeting like this, doll. People will talk," He grinned.

Ava smiled. She couldn't help it, she _always_ smiled at Tig. But as soon as she got closer to him, she spotted the bruising around his jaw and she frowned, automatically reaching up to gently brush at the purple shadow.

"What happened? Are you okay?" Tig flinched at the contact, though she was softer than a feather and didn't hurt him at all. It didn't go unnoticed by Ava. She withdrew her hand.

"I'm fine, baby," He reassured her a little off-handedly. Ava wondered at his sudden softness, his uncharacteristic though slight uncertainty. She wondered if it was the first time in a while anybody had shown him real concern- she knew what it could be like around the guys, especially when you were the Sergeant-at-Arms and meant to be tougher than nails all the time. "Just a couple rounds too many with Hap in the ring," He excused truthfully with a wink of his bright blue eye.

"Oh," Ava was somewhat relieved. "I guess that explains what you're doing here."

"Yeah. Doesn't explain you though. Or," Tig continued with raised eyebrows, "Big sis." Ava visibly cringed like she'd been caught out.

"She came back to town a week ago. I wasn't expecting it..."

"Thought you told me when shit went down." It was true, she did. It was how it had always been back in the day, and they had fallen right back into old habits- well, as far as that was concerned. Since Tig had approached her after burning her Dad, they spoke regularly. She'd even vented to him just a little on her frustration and anger at Tara.

"No shit went down," Ava reassured him. "Well, not too much shit. We put the brakes on it. She's… she didn't want Jax to know she was back in town quite yet. I guess she wants to put her best doctor face on or whatever."

"I'm not gonna tell him." Tig didn't give enough of a shit about the Vice President's personal life for that.

"No, but you might've let slip to Gemma." Ava thought that Gemma might actually rank higher on Tara's list of people she did not want to be confronted by. Jax, at least, would never be hostile- he wasn't capable of it, not when it came to Tara. Gemma was a whole other ball game. Ava did not envy Wendy or any other girl Jax might end up marrying, getting stuck with that dragon as a mother-in-law. Tig was smiling guiltily at her remark.

"Yeah, well you know Gemma knows how to push my buttons, get me talking before I even know it," He chuckled.

"Well, as much as I'd like to punish Tara for being an uptight bitch, I don't actually hate my sister- especially not enough to unleash the Queen on her." Ava raised one eyebrow now, looking up at him expectantly.

"Alright, your secret's safe with me darlin'," Tig promised. "But for a price."

"Oh God..." Ava groaned playfully. "Name it."

"It's Juice's birthday on Saturday," He began.

"No," Ava immediately vetoed it because she knew where this was going- he was going invite her to the party which would inevitably be at the clubhouse.

"Alright… don't do it to buy my silence, then. But you're coming." Ava shook her head. Tig was speaking as if he had any control over what Ava decided to do, and maybe he was hoping that if he was firm enough she'd just agree or give in. And Ava certainly wanted to argue, but she had stood there talking to Tig now for just long enough that she'd likely be late…

"I'll think about it… look I have to go," She said a little anxiously.

"What are you even here for?" Tig stopped her before she could hurry away into the building. Ava gave him a weird look.

"Me and Tara are sharing the Cutlass. I'm dropping off the keys to her…" She thanked the heavens that he'd seen Tara after all- it gave her a ready-made excuse. "Gotta catch her before shift change," Ava garbled. Luckily, Tig seemed to think her babbled reply was true.

"Alright doll. I'll pick you up on Saturday..." He was saying, but Ava was already gone. He watched her go, her slender frame disappearing into the busy hallways just inside the hospital. He chuckled as he headed towards his bike, flexing his sore fingers.

Inside, Ava turned right instead of left at the sign for neonatal, where Tara could generally be found.

* * *

**A/N: This chapter got re-written so many times because I wasn't happy with it but here it is finally! I know that not a lot happens but- a flashback to a teen Ava, Tara's return and her choice to confide in Ava, and what is her mysterious appointment at the hospital? I wonder if Tig can convince her to go the party ;) thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed, I would reply individually but it wasn't letting me for some reason. Your feedback as always means a lot!**


	4. Chapter 4: Ditched

**Chapter Four: Ditched**

Surprisingly, Ava still owned some of her old clothes. She looked at the hot pants, one leg blue, one leg black- club colours, and so short they didn't cover the entirety of her butt cheeks. That was if she could even get into them anymore. Ava had never been fat but she was certainly more womanly now than when she used to prance around the clubhouse in _these, _usually over a pair of fishnets but sometimes not even that. She actually had hips now, and besides, she was much too close to thirty for them anyway. It amazed her to think that she'd once worn this kind of stuff without even thinking. Often she'd pair these shorts with a midrift-baring top… and even if she could squeeze into her shorts, that was as far as she'd even be willing to imagine.

Ava had been absolutely adamant that she wasn't going to Juice's birthday party until ten minutes ago, when Tig had shown up on her doorstep and refused to leave unless she was with him. His vivid blue eyes had had that flat look in them that told her he was feeling stubborn enough to live up to his words, so she gave in and went into her bedroom to get dressed. Tara was sleeping in their Dad's old room, so it thankfully was a lot less cramped than when they were teenagers living at home together.

She stuffed the shorts away and instead selected black ripped skinny jeans and a burgundy tank top. It still showed some skin, but not too much. She didn't do much with her long dark hair, just leaving it to sit around her shoulders. But when she headed out, Tig's face was a picture when he looked at her.

"Damn..." He murmured, causing her to bite her lip shyly.

"Not really," Ava said, because she knew she would be the plainest-dressed female at the party.

"No, really," Tig told her, but he'd rearranged his face into a more casual expression by then, which put Ava back at ease. "I drove the truck here. Figured you wouldn't wanna go on the bike." Now if there was anything Ava missed it was going on the bikes so she frowned a little. Tig chuckled as he led her out the door. "All in good time, doll." She had no idea what he meant as she climbed into the truck with him.

Ava was nervous. Setting foot in the garage had been strange. Walking into the clubhouse…

As Tig drove, he sensed that Ava was on edge. He looked over at her briefly, hesitating before he reached across and placed a large hand on her thigh in a soothing kind of way.

"I hope you know I do appreciate you comin'. I know I bullied you into it." Ava looked around at him confusedly.

"Why, though?" She asked. "I'm not that girl anymore. I'm not gonna be much fun…" Tig shrugged.

"I enjoy having you around. And… I think it'd do you good. Remember who you used to be."

"I have no trouble remembering," Ava laughed, but then she glanced at him and saw that his expression was actually quite serious. Her smile faltered. Tig had never been much good with words- he could use them well enough to charm a lady's panties off and convince people to do what he wanted- but expressing his feelings, his real thoughts and opinions on things that didn't relate to SAMCRO… he'd never mastered it.

"I didn't mean like, back when you were a croweater," He struggled. "I meant… the girl who came from Charming… the one who didn't care what anyone thought."

"What makes you think I care now?" Ava asked, looking over at him. Tig shrugged, not looking back at her, his eyes on the road. He didn't have the ability to tell her exactly what made him know that. If he did, he would've been able to tell her that she held herself totally differently, like she was trying to present a false version of herself, or at least put up a wall. He understood why, but that didn't mean he didn't miss the real Ava, the one she only let him see glimmers of these days.

They were quiet on the rest of the short drive over to the clubhouse. There was already noise and music blasting from the inside. Tig parked the truck.  
"Ready, doll?" He asked her. Ava looked out the window at a sight she hadn't seen in a very long time and took a breath.

"Nope," She said, but she said it with a smile. Now that she was here, she felt a tiny spark of excitement mixing with the nerves and reluctance… it was, after all, just a party. Where was the harm?

* * *

_Ava was drunk and very very tired. There were bodies everywhere- many asleep or passed out around the clubhouse. A few people were still awake, still drinking, but sluggish and talking drunken nonsense. She was staggering about, trying to find a couch or somewhere to crash until the morning._

_Sometimes, she felt less like a hanger on, a friend or a croweater, and more like a whore who didn't get paid. She had seen plenty of 'use' tonight, that was for sure, having been passed from Chibs to Kyle to Happy Lowman. Her body was sore, she was out of it, and she needed to sleep desperately. Her fishnets were ripped, her makeup was smudged, and she had hickies sucked into her neck. _

_It was the third party this week. Tacoma were visiting and it was crazy every night. Ava loved to have a good time but the idea of a quiet night in was starting to sound appealing… and there was no damn space to sleep…_

_Wendy was laying underneath Jax, both of them asleep on top of his kutte near the bar. Ava didn't see his legs though, and she tripped, landing just behind the bar on her side. She was too drunk to even feel the impact. She looked at the inside of the bar for a while, before her eyes closed and there she stayed._

* * *

Ava let Tig lead her inside the clubhouse, where a drink was soon pushed into her hands. His arm wrapped around her shoulders as he sensed her nerves, the strong hand and fingers with all the rings he wore a reassuring weight on the top of her arm.

"Let's go find the birthday boy," He murmured in her ear. It was crowded inside the clubhouse. Ava felt strangely alien there. It could've been taken right from her memory, the scantily clad women and the leather wearing men, the air smoky and beery. The clubhouse hadn't changed at all. Juice was at the end of the bar, a huge grin plastered across his face instantly when he saw who Tig had brought along.

"I didn't know you were coming!" The Puerto Rican biker bounded forward and hugged her, knocking Tig's arm from around her. She remembered that he had patched in not long after she left town. Ava had always liked Juice but she'd never been sure he was cut out for SAMCRO. She was glad they accepted him though.

"I'm full of surprises," She smiled as he let her go.

"This doesn't count as a birthday present," Juice told Tig.

"You're lucky I didn't just give ya birthday beats," Tig said semi-threateningly in response. Ava rolled her eyes but she was amused to see that Tig still made Juice a little nervous. Plenty of people just didn't know how to take Tig Trager, which is what made a lot of his interactions funny. Tig waved at the Prospect to bring him a drink and Ava turned back to Juice.

"Happy birthday," She smiled sincerely. "How's it been so far?"

"Oh you know. It's still early," Juice shrugged. But the place was rammed, so Ava knew he wasn't doing too badly. "I was just about t-"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Tig rudely interrupted, though Juice just rolled his eyes. Tig pushed a vodka and coke into Ava's hand to replace the beer she'd been handed as they walked in. He clutched his whiskey in the other and his arm found it's way back around her shoulders as he began to steer her back through the busy clubhouse. "Let's go sit down," He suggested to her.

"You're mean to Juice," Ava accused, though she didn't try to stop him.

"Someone's gotta be. Nah you know how it is, doll." Ava nodded at this because she did know. Tig had explained it a long time ago; because he was the S.A., his role was disciplinarian. A big part of that was ensuring that all the guys knew it- he wasn't there to be messed with. And a huge tactic Tig used with the younger guys was hazing, though Ava could at least see Juice knew what was going on.

"So what do I do here?" Ava asked him as they found a couch and parked on it, Tig's arm over the back of the seat behind her. "I didn't used to spend a lot of time here sitting down talking," She added.

"No, you didn't. You used to be the first up there," Tig pointed to the stripper pole with a glint in his eyes.

"Don't get ideas," Ava warned playfully. There were a couple of girls already up there.

"Bet you could show 'em how it's done if you really wanted to, though," Tig smirked lazily, swigging his drink.

"Oh I definitely could," Ava laughed, "But I'm not going to." Tig chuckled and cast his gaze around the clubhouse for a moment or two.

"You know what you used to be good at, doll?" He asked her. Ava gave him a questioning look. "People watchin'. You used to have shit all figured out just by payin' attention. Always thought you could've done my job better than me," He tapped the Sergeant-at-Arms patch on the front of his kutte. "Parties are great for doing that. See what people are really like." Ava was surprised by what he said. She'd never thought of herself that way at all and Tig had never said anything like that to her in the past.

"I don't remember having a whole lot figured out," She countered, sipping her own drink.

"No? I remember you sayin' Jax hooked up with Wendy 'cause he was lonely, not 'cause he loved her. I remember thinkin', why is he marrying her then? Took 'til they split for me to get it," Tig shook his head.

"You didn't need me to tell you that," Ava disagreed, "You didn't love Colleen and you still married her."

"Hey, at the time I _thought_ I loved her and that's the same thing."

"Sure." Ava didn't know Tig's ex-wife but she knew everything about her- enough to know that there wasn't a relationship more doomed in the history of time than the one Tig and Colleen Trager had shared.

"Weren't just that. Chick shit. I learned a lot from ya, doll."

"Are you going soft, Tiggy?" Ava asked, nudging him, half-laughing and half-genuinely asking.

"Nah. Just nostalgic."

"You and me both, brother," A deep voice interrupted their talk. Ava looked up and found Clay Morrow himself stood there. She knew the President didn't spend too much time at these parties, he never really had- surprisingly, he hadn't really been too much of a party guy and was more of a one woman man unless shit got really bad. Ava hadn't expected to run into him and it made her apprehensive. His wife was more terrifying for many reasons, but Clay still had an air about him that made you shut the hell up if you knew what was good for you. "It's good to see you here, sweetheart. My wife told me you were back."

"It's nice to see you too Clay," Ava said in kind of a perfunctory way. She noted that it had been Gemma who told Clay she was back and not Tig.

"Mind if I get a minute?" The President asked her. Ava glanced at Tig but she knew neither of them could say no.

"Sure," Ava handed off her drink to Tig and stood up, following Clay out back to a quieter spot. Tig watched her go. He had no idea what his club president and best friend had to say to Ava but he hoped it was nothing bad. Clay and Tig didn't talk about women together, surprisingly, but Tig had never gotten the impression back when that Clay approved of him being more deeply involved with a croweater than average. He didn't know if Clay took that opinion from Gemma, or if he concluded it himself. But he did know the way Clay had been towards him after Ava left and Tig was a goddamn mess- and sympathetic was not the word.

* * *

_It was raining. It wasn't ever supposed to rain in California, which explained why no soul was ever ready for it here. But Ava, she was in deep shit. It was raining _and _she had a flat tyre… _and _she didn't have a license… _and _this wasn't even her car. _

_She opened up the trunk without much hope. In it was the spare and a jack. She'd seen her dad change a tyre once, a couple years ago. Ava just had to hope she remembered how to do it even though she hadn't been particularly studying what her father did that time, because she couldn't exactly call him. She'd taken _his_ car. Her hair was sticking to her face and she could hardly see as she held the jack in one hand and looked uselessly at the heavy tyre. She was on the highway but it was late so there weren't too many cars passing by. Ava knew she should be glad that a cop didn't go by. She began to grapple with the tyre when a rumble further up the road caught her ear and a single, blinding white headlight scattered her vision. _

"_Fuck," She muttered the single word, squinting through the violent weather at the approaching vehicle. She'd lived in Charming her whole life and the only people heading back this way on motorcycles at past eleven on a Wednesday night were members of the Sons of Anarchy. And that could mean she was just as busted as she would be if a cop came by because her sister was dating Jax Teller, and everyone knew his step-father was the President. The news of her whereabouts would find it's way back._

_Ava watched nervously as the bike slowed and came to a stop. Dazzled by the headlamp, even after it switched off she was seeing spots and it took her eyes a minute to adjust._

"_You need help, honey?" A gravelly voice asked. Ava still couldn't see it's owner's face, but she did see the patch on his kutte; 'President'. In her mind, she repeated her earlier curse._

"_Um," Figuring she was already screwed, she knew the Sons ran a garage in town so she may as well get the help she needed. "I got a flat. I don't really know how to change it." Finally she could see the intimidating jutting jaw and piercing grey eyes. He heaved himself off his bike._

"_It's your lucky day," He said dryly. "I was gonna drive by but I don't like to see kids out this late."_

"_I'm not a kid," Ava retorted, annoyed, but then she remembered who she was talking to and clammed up. The President gave her a sceptical, half-amused look. _

"_How old are ya?"_

"_Fifteen," She replied defensively._

"_A kid," He chuckled dismissively as he grabbed the jack out of her hand and got to work on her flat._

"_Well, they tell kids not to talk to strangers," Ava quipped, then kicked herself again. Why the hell was she sassing him back as if he wasn't an extremely daunting biker? Surprisingly, he actually laughed._

"_I'm Clay," He introduced himself. "Not a stranger. You from Charming?"_

"_Yeah," Ava answered cautiously, watching him take the original tyre off._

"_A fifteen year old kid from Charming driving a stolen car down the highway late at night in the pissing rain."_

"_That's me." Clay chuckled at her response. _

"_When I'm done, go straight home alright? I don't wanna hear about you on the news… what's your name anyway?"_

"_Jane," Ava lied. Clay seemed to know it was a lie but he didn't question it. He finished up switching her tyres._

"_Get home safe, _Jane_. And don't do this shit again, I only do one good deed a year."_

* * *

Ava was remembering her first encounter with Clay Morrow as she stood with him in one of the back rooms of the clubhouse. He hadn't changed much, other than going greyer and looking even meaner. The only difference was, back then as a naive teenager she'd had an idea that she should be careful around him. Now, as a grown woman, she knew she should probably be afraid of him. He'd never hurt her, but she knew what happened to those who crossed him.

"Look, Clay, if it's an issue me being here, I don't mind leaving, Tig just convinced me to come and I figured for old times' sake-" Ava began before the President could speak. He held up a hand.

"Nah, I don't mind you being here. Tig always was sweet on you, God knows nothin' I do will change that." That blunt response shut Ava up abruptly. "Look, I'll cut to the chase. I was gonna reach out some other time but since you're here..." He fixed her with his grey eyes- eyes Ava thought of as soulless. "Opie told me you need a job." To say that wasn't what Ava had been expecting was an understatement.

"Uh, he said something about TM needing more mechanics," Ava said confusedly, "I didn't think it was serious."

"Ope's right. We've been shorthanded a long time. Half my guys, I have to pull off the garage so we can figure out club shit. Need someone who can stick around the joint full time and actually fix the cars." Ava was totally nonplussed.

"Uh, I mean, I know a little but only what you taught me. I'm no professional mechanic, I haven't even tinkered in forever."

"We don't exactly have a huge pool of applicants," Clay said impatiently. "It's a small town, nobody learns a trade these days, and we like to work with people we know we can trust." Ava raised her eyebrows at this last. Clay gave her a look. "I may not have liked you flashing your ass around Tig and distractin' him from shit but that doesn't mean I think you're a threat. Look, I can have Lowell or someone work with you, teach you the shit you don't know. Ease you in. Pay a decent salary, get you on the healthcare…. I know you gotta be paying out your ass on medical bills." It took Ava a full minute to understand what he'd just said.

"Juice is getting into medical records now?" No wonder he'd looked so happy to see her, she thought, annoyed.

"Him and me, that's it," Clay told her, and she took that to mean he hadn't told anyone else in the club. It also made sense the over the top enthusiasm Juice had shown when he saw her there... "When you came back I had to make sure you weren't a fed plug or something." She supposed how that suspicion had made sense. Ava nodded. "So what do you say? You don't have to give an answer now but I'd like to know in the next few days so I can have Gemma figure out your schedule."

"I'll do it." Given her reluctance when Opie had brought up working at TM before, Ava surprised herself with her spontaneous agreement. But, everything that Clay had said actually made sense- she would be getting properly trained, she'd have an income and actual medical insurance. It was the fact she'd be sticking around in Charming that surprised Ava the most- and working so close by to the Sons again too.

"You will?" Clay raised an eyebrow.

"As long as it's clear- I'll be a mechanic. I don't wanna be treated any different."

"Agreed."

* * *

When Ava returned to the party she'd been intending to give Tig the news but when she got back she found him the subject of a very enthusiastic young croweaters' attention. He was obviously trying to shrug the girl off when he saw Ava was back but she could also tell that if she wasn't there he'd already be in the back rooms with the chick by now. In any case, before she could really say more than a word or two to Tig, she was waylaid by Jax.

"C'mon, Tiggy can live without you for a while," The familiar grin under the golden hair pulled her away towards the bar. "You can get me a drink," Jax added.

"I can?"

"You owe me. You didn't tell me Tara was back." Ava winced. She hadn't seen Jax since Tara returned but she definitely hadn't been in a rush to deliver that news- she was relieved it had gotten to him some other way.

"I guess I do owe you a drink," Ava sighed, ordering their beers in. "I'm sorry. She came back unexpectedly. I haven't even had a second to sit with it myself."

"Nah, it's okay. I was just surprised, that's all." Jax leaned against the bar, looking at her.

"Me too," Ava admitted. "All of it surprises me. Her showing up, out of the blue, the job at St Thomas..."

"Yeah..." The two of them spoke a little more on the subject of Tara. Jax had seen her once, by chance, at the diner in town, but they hadn't sought each other out deliberately yet. He had too much going on in his life already, he'd asserted, and Tara didn't seem to be looking for anything anyway. Ava was relieved because she really didn't want to somehow end up dealing with the drama that that particular pairing always seemed to bring with it. Their conversation moved onto other things and Ava lost track of time. When she detached herself from Jax she'd lost sight of Tig altogether, but she was much more comfortable than when she first arrived so she figured she'd wait him out as he got done with whatever croweater he'd eventually ended up with. She ignored the feeling it gave her, the one it used to give her back in the old days- jealousy tinged with anxiety. She had no right to feel that way.

Ava didn't exactly mingle with the other Sons. She knew that might send the wrong message; so she walked around the party and did what Tig had observed that she did well- she watched people. It still felt a little strange to be back in the clubhouse at such a clearly successful birthday party and not really being an active participant in any of the festivities other than drinking- and even that not to the degree of everyone else.

Tig was gone so long Ava was starting to get a little pissed off- and tired. He had dragged her to this party, after all. She had just decided to ditch him and call a cab when she heard her name being called. She turned- she was standing just outside the clubhouse, near the picnic tables, cell phone in hand. Tig was weaving out towards her, looking way drunker than he had when she'd last seen him.

"Baby, where've you been?" He slurred, putting his arm around her shoulders.

"At this guy's birthday party. Someone invited me but then they ditched me for almost two hours," Ava retorted, annoyed.

"Doll, I'm sorry, I'd never ditch ya, somethin' came up..." Tig began to excuse. "Did ya miss me?"

"I think I know what came up," Ava replied- Tig's dick being the answer.

"Aw come on. I'm _sorry," _He repeated, his lips brushing her ear in a sloppy kiss. "Please don't go now. Please."

"It's okay, Tig, really," Ava sighed, deciding he was too drunk to reason with. She turned to look up at him, a hand on his chest to push him just slightly away so they could look into each other's faces. "It's not a big deal. I'm just tired, you know, out of practice with this partying stuff. You stay, have fun. I'll call you."

"Ava," Tig said, and she wondered if he was listening at all. "There's somethin' I wanted to talk to you about. Please, stay here with me a while, so I can tell you..."

"What do you have to tell me?" He'd had ample opportunity to talk to her, not just tonight but ever since she came back to Charming, so Ava figured he was just drunkenly babbling in order to keep her there because he felt bad. Her suspicions seemed confirmed by the dumbfounded look he gave her.

"Um..."

"Let's talk tomorrow, Tig. When we're both sober..." Ava began to look through her phone for the cab number.

"No! Gotta be now..." He reached out unsteadily and took her wrist.

"What?" Ava was getting impatient now. Tig hesitated, apparently casting around for something he could say to her now. Unfortunately for him, the alcohol had stolen his verbal filter but not the entirety of his conscious mind.

"Why were you really at the hospital the other day?" He blurted out. "I know you didn't head to see Tara." Ava gaped, shocked. But a second later, she was angry. She shook off his hand crossly.

"It's none of your business." She wasn't sure why she should be pissed at him for asking, she just was. Evidently he'd known it wasn't a subject he could just broach, or he would've done it sober. But drunk Tig had even less sensitivity than sober Tig, and it alarmed Ava.

"Baby, I-"

"No, don't _baby _me. You're fucking wasted. You made me come to this party and couldn't wait for me to talk to a couple other people. You ditched me for hours to fuck some girl and now you're bringing up personal shit you have no right to ask about. Fuck you Tig." Ava stormed away, deciding to just get off the lot and call the cab on her way. She didn't usually like to walk around alone at night but right then she just couldn't stand there in front of Tig and god knew who else might be eavesdropping. She just couldn't face this conversation, not with him, not there, not at that time.

"Ava!" Tig yelled, trying to follow her. "I had to ask!" He said. Ava turned around, facing him. Now there were onlookers too.

"Why?" She snapped.

"'Cause I care. I love you," He said, like this was the easiest and most natural thing in the world to say, like he wasn't drunk, she wasn't angry and wounded, like the whole clubhouse wasn't watching. Ava felt mortified, humiliated. She had wanted to avoid SAMCRO for this reason. She didn't want a scene. She was done being a spectacle. And here was Tig, shining his spotlight on her, being the worst version of his flippant self.

"You're an asshole."

* * *

**A/N: I rewrote this chapter no joke about six times, I'm sorry it took so long if anyone was waiting! SO we got to see Ava interact with Clay and a little history there, and a job prospect! And a little spat with Tig. Is Ava overreacting? Does Tig mean it at all or is he just drunk? Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed. You guys are amazing.**


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